A school in England has defended its decision to punish a boy for his ‘extreme haircut’ – a skin fade.
Strood Academy in Kent decided to send 15-year-old Liam to a behavioural unit after saying his haircut was ‘ridiculous’.
Jon Richardson, the headteacher of the Kent school, said that the haircut policy was in place to bring ‘equality and focus’ to the students.
Liam’s parents shared that he was taken out of his classroom for having the skin fade but the reason he has that specific cut is due to his eczema.
The school’s policy reads; “No extreme haircuts. eg: Skin fades, graphics, lines and must be a minimum of grade one cut (senior leadership teams discretion).”
The 15-year-olds stepfather, Barry Sandman, said the punishment was ‘horrible’ and ‘unnecessary’.
He claimed his stepson had a skinfade to keep his head cool to stop his eczema flaring up and that the ‘stress’ of being removed from class had made it worse.
His mother collected him from the behavioural unit and took him home. He then got a doctor’s note to prove to the teacher that he had a skin condition
The following week, he was allowed back into class as his hair had grown out.
Sandman said; “Something needs to change as Liam shouldn’t be missing out teaching time in his final year of GCSEs for a haircut that looks smart,”.
“It’s not like he has a mohawk, massively long braids or blue-dyed hair. If he had dreadlocks that were bright pink that would probably be fine.
“It is a sensible haircut. Pretty much every teenager in Medway has a similar haircut. Professionals have similar trims and it would not stop him from getting a job.
“Plus he has his haircut like this as he has suffered from eczema for years and the skin fade keeps his head cool during the autumn and summer months as the heat from wearing a blazer, shirt and coat makes him sweat and irritates his skin.”
The headteacher said in a statement; “Strood Academy is committed to maintaining a positive and inclusive learning environment where high standards of behaviour and appearance are upheld.
“These standards are consistently applied across the academy to ensure all students are prepared for learning and that our school community remains focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for every child.
“We are aware of concerns raised by a parent regarding a student who was placed in the academy’s behavioural unit following concerns over the length of his haircut, which did not meet the academy’s uniform policy.
“The academy has a clear and well-established dress code, including guidelines on appropriate hairstyles, which is communicated to parents and students at the beginning of each academic year.
“These guidelines are in place to promote a sense of equality and focus across the academy.
“We are in communication with the parent and have offered a meeting to discuss their concerns in more detail.
“We always take into consideration any specific circumstances, including medical conditions, and seek to work collaboratively with parents to resolve matters.
“At this time, no formal complaint has been lodged, and we continue to engage with the parent to find an appropriate resolution.”
